Color MFPs prove capable and costly

The Color imageRunner C3220's overall design feels sturdy and well-thought-out. The dual 500-sheet internal paper trays on our unit pop open with a push of a button and slide smoothly. Areas where paper might jam, such as the duplexer, also slide out on strong, steel rails. Reusable plastic chits drop into a slot on each tray's front to indicate the paper size -- most MFPs either don't provide signage or use messy stickers. Inside the trays, the guides are easy to adjust but can't automatically sense paper size; the user has to designate the size by adjusting a slider in the tray. Our few other objections include a somewhat flimsy paper flap on the ADF (automatic document feeder) and a cheesy plastic strap supporting a side door.

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The bulk of the control panel's functions appear on a full-color 1,024-pixel-by-768-pixel LCD screen. All the MFPs we tested have an LCD, but Canon's is the only one that can display scans before you print or send them. The LCD's stylus is also unique: Use it to navigate the menus or draw on your scan (for cropping or cutting). Third-party vendors can remap the interface using Canon's MEAP (Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform) technology. Despite many layers of menus, prompts and flags always keep you oriented. On-screen help should reduce calls to your company's support desk.

The Color imageRunner C3220's vast array of features covers everything from output quality to accounting and security. You can adjust the look of a scanned image by applying preset Vivid or Tranquil color schemes or by converting it to a sepia-tone Retro Photo look. To track usage costs, the MFP stores detailed information about what types of documents are printed, copied, and so on. You can set precise controls over what each user may do, and the coding system matches account codes in Canon's extra-cost job-accounting package. (The information is still available even if you don't spring for Canon's solution.)

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This MFP has the best documentation we've ever seen. The roughly 1,500 pages of printed manuals present, with clarity and thoroughness, the nitty-gritty of copying; various applications of scanning, such as faxing and network file storage; and managing the Color imageRunner C3220 on a network.

The Color imageRunner C3220 excelled in both speed and output quality. It printed plain text at 17.3 ppm (pages per minute) -- near the top of the scale for this group. Considering the cost of the imagePass C1 EFI print controller ($4,950 MSRP), we expected zippy graphics-printing speed as well. We were disappointed there, although the Color imageRunner C3220's 4.5-ppm time was still one of the faster ones in the roundup. It copied text documents at a brisk 27.5 ppm and color graphics at an impressive 18.5 ppm. Printed text documents came out crisp, clean, and black; copied text looked only slightly rougher. Color prints, whether of pie charts or photographs, looked vivid, smooth, and realistic. Color copies displayed a little roughness but still looked good.

The Color imageRunner C3220 is a solid machine, but to judge by the published prices -- an admittedly uncertain proposition -- you pay for what you get. The unit we tested lists for more than $21,000, and that's without a finisher (from $1,465 to $5,880) or fax (another $800). Plan to negotiate hard on price, and keep an eye on the dealer's cost-per-click offer.